


Portsmouth

by jj_minerva



Category: Hornblower (TV), Sharpe - All Media Types
Genre: Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-05
Updated: 2012-03-05
Packaged: 2017-11-01 03:04:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/351230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jj_minerva/pseuds/jj_minerva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Chance Meeting</p>
            </blockquote>





	Portsmouth

**Author's Note:**

> William Lawford is usually seen as a shy, naïve young man totally out of his depth in Sharpe's Tiger, following Richard Sharpe around like a faithful puppy. But what if it was all an act? What if William Lawford's past held a secret? With one short sentence Bernard Cornwell provided William Lawford with the opportunity of a lifetime.  
> The story below is the result.
> 
> Special thanks to Jen Riddler for asking the question and then making the connection.
> 
> The first two lines of dialogue are borrowed from Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe's Tiger

"My home's near Portsmouth," William Lawford said with a faraway look in his eyes. A smile slowly appeared on the delicate lips and the young fair-haired Lieutenant sighed. 

"That's no bloody good. Navy would press you in Portsmouth before a recruiting sergeant could get near to you. Ever been to Sheffield?" 

Private Dick Sharpe looked at his commanding officer and waited patiently for a reply. He was in no hurry for the answer, in fact he was happy to wait for he did not intend going to Seringapatum without his girl, Mary Bickerstaff. Mary was coming with them. William Lawford might think he was in command of this operation, but Dick Sharpe had other ideas. At the moment he needed to keep Lieutenant Lawford talking for a while longer. 

"Oh I've been pressed by the Navy, Sharpe, many times," Lawford said eagerly as his eyes took on an unfamiliar sparkle. 

"What?" Sharpe turned back, thinking he had misheard. Whatever could the shy young Lieutenant be talking about. 

"I remember the first time. It was January 1793 and my father had sent me into Portsmouth on an errand. But my horse threw a shoe and the weather turned bad and while I waited for the blacksmith to finish I sought shelter at an Inn." 

"Oh aye, Sir," Sharpe murmured,his thoughts turned back to Mary again, her slim body and welcoming arms. Perhaps they would get married when they were away from the army. Whatcould be keeping her? 

"It was a modest little establishment called 'The Rigid Mast', but it seemed well patronised by lots of young men. They were so friendly too, all eager to buy me drinks. I found a place beside the fire in the hope of drying my clothes, which were wet through. Before long I was joined by a young midshipman. He'd just arrived in Portsmouth to join his ship, but the bad weather had made him late and he had to wait until the following day for them to send a boat to pick him up." 

Lawford smiled and looked up to the stars that twinkled in the humid Indian night. "Horatio was soaking wet, just like me. Long curls bedraggled, dark eyes looking so lost, shivering. We started talking and found we had so much in common, the time fairly flew. It took quite a few brandies to warm us up and of course by that time it was very late. I realised that I too would be forced to spend the night in Portsmouth, the weather had not let up and there was simply no way I could have ridden home. Neither of us had sufficient funds for a room, but together we had just enough." 

"You spent the night together?" Sharpe asked as the implications of the story slowly dawning on him. Perhaps Lawford was not the naive young man that everyone thought. 

"Yes," sighed Lawford, smiling again like a contented cat. 

"But yer hardly knew him!" was Sharpe's shocked reply. A drink is what I need, thought Sharpe as he pulled a small flask of arrack out of his pack and took a large swallow. The harsh liquor burned down his throat. 

"Oh but I did by the next morning. I knew him very well, every inch of him." 

It took some moments for Sharpe to stop spluttering and regain his breath. Lawford very kindly helped by thumping him on the back. 

"Why Sharpe, surely you're not shocked! You're a man of the world aren't you? You know what goes on?" The direct blue eyes stared at him, slightly amused and Sharpe felt himself blush. 

"Er... well yes, of course I do," He wasn't used to officers telling him about their sexual encounters but that didn't deter his interest. "Yer must have been very young back then. Was the midshipman older? Did he show yer…how to... er that is.." 

"I was 16 and Horatio was 17 and neither of us had indulged in anything like that before. But sometimes you just don't need instructions Sharpe, some things just come naturally, don't you think?" Lawford was looking at him again with those innocent eyes, all bright and blinking. 

"Oh er, yes, yer right, sir." Sharpe stuttere. 

"And once you learn them you never forget, eh Richard. Oh and you had better stop calling me sir, they'll never believe we're deserters if you keep calling me sir." It was said sweetly but the unexpected familiarity made Sharpe feel uncomfortable. 

"Er well, yes um..?" Sharpe knew he was babbling now and tried to regain the upper hand. "So what should I call yer then?" 

"Willy!" Lawford declared proudly.

"What?" Sharpe asked alarmed. What sort of a name was that! 

"Willy. Well, it's really William, but you can call me Willy," Lawford purred all smiles again. 

"Is that what yer friend in Portsmouth called you?" Sharpe asked hoping to divert Lawford's intense gaze away from him. It was unsteadying. Besides, he wanted to hear more of the story. 

"Oh that among other things," and with that Lawford commenced giggling like a young girl. 

Sharpe blinked twice and looked away. My god, how had he gotten mixed up in this. "So what happened in the morning, Willy?" he asked, bringing Lawford back to his tale. 

"We said our good-byes but promised to meet the following week. The fleet was anchored at Spit Head you see, awaiting orders. So the following week and every week there after, I would ride to Portsmouth on some pretext or other and spend a very enjoyable day at 'The Rigid Mast' with Horatio." Lawford lay back on the grass and stared up into the night sky. "My god Sharpe, the things we did with each other!" 

"Dick!" Sharpe declared. If he had to call Lawford 'Willy' then at least the Lieutenant should return the favour." 

"Yes and it was wonderful!" Lawford continued thinking along entirely different lines. "A few times he brought his friend Archie along. He'd spent a lot of time around the theatre when he was younger and knew the most amazing things. Why you should have seen what he could do with his tongue!" 

Was it suddenly getting hotter, Sharpe wondered? He pulled off his leather stock and threw it away. The red jacket followed. He loosened his shirt. 

"Here? What are you doing Sharpe? We'll have plenty of time to do that when we get to Seringapatum." Lawford said with a grin, but he was already pulling his own stock off. 

"Oh er, no, I wasn't going to…We have to dress like deserters, sir. I mean Willy. This is what deserters do," 

"Really?" Lawford raised his eyebrows at that and whispered, "Sounds like fun!" 

Sharpe stared at him in horror. "No, not that! They turn their coats." 

Lawford smiled even more. "Of course, silly me." He sat up and pulled his hair loose from its queue. It cascaded down his shoulders like fine fair silk. "I suppose they take their hair out too Sharpe?" he said shaking his head so that the fine blonde hair whispered back and forth in the moonlight. "Turn around and I'll help you. We'll have so much fun in Seringapatum." 

How had he lost control of the situation? Sharpe was the one with experience here. He was planning on calling the shots and putting Lawford in his place, but somehow Lawford had overturned that plan. 

Well one thing was sure. They would not be leaving without Mary Bickerstaff. What on earth could be taking the bloody woman so long! 

Sharpe sprang back from the delicate fingers, "I can do it thanks sir, er Willy. Tell me more about Portsmouth. How come you didn't join the Navy? Sounds like you were very fond of seamen." 

Licking his delicate red lips, Lawford continued, "Yessss. Nothing like the taste of salt, I always say. But it was not to be. My father grew suspicious and followed me one day. He caught Horatio and I in our room at 'The Rigid Mast'." Lawford sighed and leaned his head to one side. "Poor man, you should have seen his face when he saw what we were doing. He had no idea you could …er…well that's not really important I suppose. He dragged me home and forbade me to go back to Portsmouth. Of course I was back there the next day and Horatio and Archie smuggled me aboard their ship, 'The Indefatigable'. Never was a ship more aptly named! Those two had stamina! We spent days just….. But I digress. They hid me in the hold in a little place Horatio had discovered while chasing rats and chickens. It was warm and dry and private. I stayed there a week before I was found." 

"By your father?" Sharpe asked? Lawford's life was almost as exciting as his own. Wait till Tom Garrard heard this tale! 

"Oh no, it was their Captain, a man by the name of Pellew, who finally found me although I never did find out why he was looking for chicken feathers. He took me to his cabin and gave me a stern talking to. He called in Horatio and Archie and told them they would be punished but that they would have to wait until he was finished with me!" 

Sharpe paled. He'd heard of the terrible punishments the Navy inflicted on wrongdoers. "The lash?" he asked, sympathetically. 

"Yes, he stripped me and flogged me," Lawford replied lowering his eyes and looked at Sharpe in a very un-officer like way 

"Bloody Hell! That must have hurt!" Sharpe thought back to his own flogging the day before. His back was still smarting from the cruel torture. Poor Lawford! 

"Deliciously, Richard. The pain was exquisite!" Lawford drooled, his eyes suddenly hot. 

"What?" Sharpe asked. Were they still talking about the same thing? "Did the Captain do it on the deck?" Had he somehow misunderstood? 

The giggle was back. "OH Richard, of course not! He wasn't into that sort of thing. It was in his cabin! Of course he tied me to his bed first to make sure I wouldn't get away! He kept me there for three days! I could hardly sit down afterwards!" 

Sharpe stared. He became aware that his mouth was hanging open and shut it quickly. Why did he suddenly feel so peculiar? Why did Lawford keep looking at him like that, his eyes all bright and burning? And why, Sharpe asked himself, am I breaking out in a sweat. 

"It's getting late Richard," Lawford whispered. 

"Dick!" Sharpe said again. When would he bloody well get it right? 

"Yes, that's exactly what I have in mind!" Lawford beamed. 

Dick Sharpe jumped up and grabbed William Lawford by the hand, tugging the young Lieutenant to his feet. 

"Where are we going Richard?" Lawford asked eyes all innocence again, lashes blinking. 

"Seringapatum!" was the breathless reply. 

"But I thought we were waiting for something." Lawford asked, still puzzled. 

"Not anymore, we're not." Dick Sharpe said eagerly, all thoughts of Mary Bickerstaff vanished from his mind. "Come on we ain't got all bloody night!"

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published August 1999. Edited 2012


End file.
